Police searching for burglary suspect in Topsfield

TOPSFIELD, Mass. (WHDH) -- Police are searching for a burglary suspect who broke into a Topsfield home in broad daylight with the homeowner inside on Monday.

The suspect slashed a screen and broke in through a window.

“My wife was home and somebody broke in and police are investigating. That’s pretty much it,” the homeowner said.

Police say the woman heard someone in the house and called 911. What followed was an intense search for the suspect.

“There were helicopters because they weren’t sure if the person was on foot or not and they were circling around for quite a few and they were in the woods with the dogs,” said Susan Cunningham, a neighbor.

Police spent hours inside the Hill Street home looking for clues, dusting for finger prints, and cataloging the stolen items, including a cell phone and jewelry police say.

Neighbors along the quiet street were stunned that a criminal would target a home in the middle of the afternoon and break in through the front window with some many people around as potential witnesses.

“And everybody was around too which was really weird because -- my husband and the kids were here and my son had just been mowing my next door neighbor’s lawn,” Cunningham said.

Police continue to search for the suspect.